Aspirion Wealth

07/04/2026

📅 𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔/𝟐𝟕?

Today’s the first working day of the new tax year, so I thought I’d kick it off with a reminder of some of the headline personal finance changes now in force - as well as those coming very soon.

1️⃣ 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐱: 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧, 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠

- Personal Allowance stays at £12,570.
- Higher‑rate and additional‑rate thresholds unchanged.

With pay rising but thresholds stuck, more people quietly drift into higher tax bands. This is what is known as 'Fiscal drag'.

2️⃣ 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐱 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐩

- Basic rate has increased from 8.75% → 10.75%.
- Higher rate has increased from 33.75% → 35.75%.
- Additional rate remains at 39.35%
- All after the £500 allowance, which remains frozen.

This matters most for business owners, investors and anyone drawing dividends outside an ISA.

3️⃣ 𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐬: 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭

- 2026/27 allowance stays at £20,000.
- But from April 2027, the cash ISA allowance drops to £12,000 for under‑65s.

A subtle nudge to encourage savers towards longer‑term investing rather than being overly reliant on cash (which may not provide real-term returns).

4️⃣ 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 & 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟: 𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞

- Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) CGT rate rises from 14% → 18%.
- Inheritance Tax Business & Agricultural Relief capped with the first £2.5m of qualifying assets still receiving 100% relief, and anything above receiving 50% relief.

These changes particularly affect business owners, farmers and those thinking about succession planning.

5️⃣ 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 & 𝐈𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐱: 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐨𝐧

- While nothing changes for 2026/27, the proposed April 2027 reforms -bringing defined contribution death benefits into the IHT net - could have far‑reaching consequences.
- This challenges the long‑standing assumption that "pensions sit outside the estate".

It may not be happening just yet, but for clients with large pension pots or more complex family arrangements, this is absolutely one to get ahead of. The balance between pensions, ISAs and other tax wrappers may need a rethink over the next couple of years.

💬 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲

2026/27 brings a mix of freezes, rises and some genuinely structural changes. If you’re a business owner, investor or someone planning intergenerational wealth, this is a year worth getting ahead of.

28/01/2026

Is your financial plan actually moving backwards while you're standing still? 🤔

​In the UK, we’re taught that it’s impolite to talk about money - But in 2026, staying quiet is becoming incredibly expensive!

​With UK income tax thresholds frozen until 2028 (a phenomenon known as 'Fiscal Drag'), many professionals are hitting 'tax traps' they didn't even know existed and you don't have to be a millionaire to be affected!

​For , I’ve put together a 60-second health check of 3 common tax traps in the UK you may not know existed - and why they shouldn't be ignored.
​
🪤 The 60% Trap: Why earning over £100k can be more 'expensive' than you may realise.

​🪤 The Child Benefit Cliff-Edge: How a simple pay rise could trigger a surprise HMRC bill.

​🪤 The Savings Squeeze: Why higher interest rates mean your 'safe' cash is now a tax target.

​The complexity of the UK tax system means that 'winging it' is no longer a viable strategy.

The good news? These traps are manageable - If you have a plan.

​Swipe through to audit your strategy ➡️

​Which of these 3 are you checking first? Let’s chat in the comments. 👇

​

01/01/2026

13/12/2025

12 days to go! 🎅

Christmas is often all about the gifts, so why not give the ultimate gift...?

Financial security for your loved ones in 2026!

​Protection is so often overlooked, but is often the bedrock of every solid financial plan!

If the foundation isn't secure, the whole house is at risk 🏠

​Get something booked in for January and let's discuss how we can help you start the new year with confidence! 💪

​

21/08/2025

Now that the Football's finally back - Lets think about investing through the lens of the nation's favourite sport! ⚽

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬

They're all about putting the ball in the back of the net! They're usually your big names and have the most potential for the best returns but can also be prima donnas and often the most volatile.

(Take Alexander Isak from my own team - Newcastle United - as an example. One minute he's scoring every game and the fans are singing his name, the next minute he's just flat out refusing to play)

​𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬

They do a lot of the hard yards and often provide stability in the middle of the park. They don't have the flashy returns of stocks and shares, but they are crucial for a balanced team.

(Take Rodri for Man City - Doesn't get many goals but the team went completely to pot last year when he was out injured all season)

𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬

Just like your defenders, cash isn't going to win you the game but may help you keep a clean sheet and protect you when the rest of the team isn't performing. Also like cash, if all you're doing is defending, you may draw some games but you're never going to win if you don't score any goals (or add some assets that provide real returns).

(Think William Saliba at the heart of Arsenal's defence. The whole team felt much better last year knowing that, without a 20 goal-a-season striker, they may only need one goal to win the game with him at the back).

A great football team needs a balanced mix of players with different skill-sets to succeed over a whole season, not just one match. Similarly, a successful investment portfolio needs the right mix of assets to succeed over the long-term.

𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜 𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒.

𝑁𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑢𝑠𝑒.

𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 (𝑖.𝑒. 𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑑𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑔𝑜𝑎𝑙)!

​What's your financial formation? Are you going all out attack, or parking the bus? 🚌

Can you think of any footballers who can be compared to other asset classes, or anyone who could be related to a specific sub-class of those above?

Let me know in the comments! 👇

​

07/08/2025

There's been a lot of talk recently about the UK state pension and the fact some people may have to wait a lot longer (perhaps up to age 80) before claiming!

Clearly, this is not welcome news (speaking as someone in their 30’s), and I think we need to have some pretty honest conversations as a nation - With some potentially difficult decisions to come (to State Pension, other parts of the welfare system, or elsewhere).

Despite the speculation though, and the fact I often have conversations with clients about ‘taking matters into their own hands’ (by making some personal provisions rather than relying solely on the State), the State Pension can still - currently - be a very good starting point and shouldn't be completely written off.

This is especially the case for those who have 'retirement in sight' and so are less likely to be impacted by any significant changes.

With that in mind, I've recently published an updated article specifically around the UK State Pension.

If you aren't sure how it works, how much you may get, how you claim, and when you may get it, then please check it out...

https://www.aspirionwealth.co.uk/whats-going-on/dont-dismiss-the-state-pension-the-uk-state-pension-explained/

Ah, retirement—Having worked hard all of your life, it should be the time when you can finally kick back, enjoy life, and sip tea (or cocktails) whilst watching the world go by. But how are you planning on paying for it?

05/08/2025

🏃‍♂️ Our Practice Principal, Naz, will be 'coming home Newcastle' around this time next month to take part in the Great North Run in support of The Children's Air Ambulance — An incredible charity that saves lives every day.

They provide vital helicopter transfers for critically ill babies and children who need urgent specialist care—when road transport simply isn’t fast enough. 💚 With no government funding, their life-saving missions rely entirely on fundraising efforts like this.

We’d be truly grateful for any support—whether it’s a donation, a share of this post, or a few words of encouragement 👏

Every bit helps to keep this service in the air and available to the families who need it most.

If you are able to donate, then please see a link below to his fundraising page:

I’m fundraising to save lives! You can be a lifesaver too – click here to find out how. So far i've raised £305.00 towards my 500 target.

04/07/2025

It was great to be invited to the European Pension Awards 2025 last night and spend the evening with some of Europe's best from across the retirement planning space!

20/12/2024

Today's the last day in the office here at Aspirion HQ before the Christmas Break, and a time to remember that...

"𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲".

What is truly valuable to us (and many others, I'm sure) is time with family, friends and those around us - Make the most of this magical time and best wishes going into 2025!

15/09/2024

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Congrats to all the Mums and Dads who got through the Summer (if that's what we can call it in Britain) unscathed!! 🎉

I recently recorded a little video for those becoming parents for the first time, covering some of the things you may want to consider at this time when it comes to your finances at this particular time of your life.

Some parents however may not have considered this at all as yet, or may simply need a reminder.

⚠ Protection...
🌱 Future Planning for Children...
🍾 ... and Future Planning for yourselves when they gain their independence (should that day ever come)!

Check out the full video on our website - link in the comments... 👇

07/03/2024

As a business that provides financial advice to a lot of working parents, one big positive to come out of yesterday's was the increase to the Child Benefit High Income Tax Charge! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

This was the first increase since its introduction back in 2013 and so, in our view, has been a long time coming!

From next month, the point at which it applies has gone up from £50,000 to £60,000, with it being phased out completely for those who earn over £80,000. This means that all those earning less than £60,000 will be able to claim the full amount, and all those earning up to £80,000 will be able to claim something.

This will give a financial boost to around half a million families in the UK!

One of the big injustices of the current system is that, because it's based on each person's income, households with only one working parent may be able to claim less than those with two parents working, even though their income at a household level may be lower. With that being the case, it was also great to hear that the intention is to move to a household-based system by April 2026.

Maybe as well as using the data they'll need to collect to implement this, HMRC could also use it to automate eligibility for the marriage allowance - something I would suggest would be welcomed by many other households up and down the country... 🤔